Device for operating window-shades



(No Model.) l

` V. BLANK 8v T. J. ANTHONY.

. DEVICE POR OPERATING WINDoW Smm-3s. No. 295,901. Patented Apr. 1,1884.

Attest. N l N l Inventors;

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` UNITE STATES PATENT Trice..

VALENTINE BLANK AND THOMAS '.J. ANTHONY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

DEVIC FOR OPERATING WINDOW-SHADES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,901, dated April 1,1884.

V 'Application iiled JannaryM, 1884. (No model.)

Sb al@ whom it may oncern:

Be itknown that we, VALENTNE BLANK `and THoMAs J. ANTHONY, both citizensoi'the United States of America, residing at Spring- 5 field, in thecounty of Clark and State of Ohio, have jointly invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Devices for Operating Win- T dow-Shades, of whichthe followingis aspecificat-ion, reference' being had therein to the roaccompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to devices `for operating windowshades; and itconsists of a metal `rod or bar extending across the window and down oneside ofthe casing ofthe same, through 15 a box-formed guideway fastenedto the face of the casing. The vertical limb of the bar is notched onone side at different points, and a spring-dog within the guidewayengages with the notches in adjusting the bar at the various 2O heightsrequired. The window-shade roller is pivoted at either end to the barjust below thehorizontal limb of the'same, the end being` turneddownward ashort distance to give room for the bearing thereon and forthe operation toothed pinion loosely pivoted thereon, which engageswitha toothed rack on the casing or window-frame. and guided by slidingbrackets or keepers, 3o which extend around the rack-bars, and thejournals of the roller upon which the pinions turn, at each end, extendthrough the front projecting ears of these keepers into staples in thecarrierfbar.

Figure l is an, isometric view of a window to which our improved devicefor operating the window-shade shown therein is applied. Fig. 2 is anenlarged view of the box-formed guideway through which the vertical limbof 4o the L- shaped bar to which the shade is attached is operated. Fig.3 shows the end of the rack-bar and the sliding bracket or keeper whichis operated over the same.

A is the window; B, the shade operating over the same... The shade here.shown is of the ordinary kind, which is wound and unwound upon itsrollerby means of a cord. A spring shade-roller can, however, be used`with our device, the objectof which is to lower the z 5o shade from thetop as well as to elevate it from the bottom of the window, both for thepur` At each end of the roller is a.

The pinions are supported,

pose of ventilation and to let light into the room where the window maybe located. On either side ofthe window are securedthelongtoothed racksb. They are `bent at an angle downward and outward (in line with thebody of the same) at'their ends, so as to raise them sufficiently fromthe face of the window casing or frame, to which it is attached, toallow the brackets k, which extend around under the 6o rack-bars, toslide freely over them.

Byrefercnce to Figs. l and 3 the `position of the sliding bracket withrelation to the rack can be seen. The brackets la are U-shaped, andstraddle the rack-bars from the under side of the latter. The pinions cc, being loosely pivoted upon thejournalsof the roller a?, between thetwo ears of the brackets, are kept in constant engagement with the teethof the racks on either side of the window. The 7o ends of the journals dafter passing through each of the brackets L', are held by staples Z,secured to the front of the shade-carrier bar D, which latter isoperated to lower and also to raise the shaderoller with its attachedshade B. The bar` D, which is shown in Fig.

l, is shaped likepan inverted L, with the horizontal limb a extendingacross the window.` The left end of limb (o is turned at an angledownward about three inches from its extreme 8o end, and one of thestaples Z is iiXed in this part, and opposite Lto this on the verticallimb a3, just below the angle, is the other staple, forming the twobearings for the roller fr'. The vertical limb a3 (seen on the right ofthe 85 window) ofthe bar D is held in andoperated through a box-shapedguideway, b', screwed to the casing or frame of the window on one side,and the shade-roller is elevated and let down by means of this part ofthe bar D, a 9o knob, e', on the lower end of the limb as being used tomanipulate it.

To provide for windows of different widths, the horizontal limb a, belowwhich the shaderoller is pivoted,is1nade in two parts,onelap- 95 pingupon the other. Each part is provided with a loop, e2 and e3, andthumb-screw e, to retain the two parts in proper relation to each otherand to allow of their adjustment. The limb a3 of the carrierD isprovided on one edge loo with notches il il t', which are engaged byadog, e, (seen in the view Fig. 2,) within the guide Q y y 295,901

way b. This dog is formed lon the steinof the knob a', (seen on thefront of the guideway,) which extends through the plates oi' the sameandispivoted therein. Aat spring-cl, presses against the side of thedog, which latter automatically engages the notches t' when the bar D ispushed upward. The notches i are sloped in from below to facilitate theoperation of the dog, which latter is kept in engagement with the edgeot' limb c2 as the shade is raised or lowered. A small spiral spring, s,is introduced as bearing against the end of spring d. Either orboththese springs may be used. The vertical limb a3 slides freely up anddown through the opening f, (seen in the guideway b,) this opening beingshaped to fit the bar, as shown in Fig. 2. As the shade is raised orlowered by means of the carrier-bar D, the

loose pinions c c travel over their respective racks b b on each side ofthe window, carrying the shade-roller at (with its shade B) in a truehorizontal'line. The shaderoller can be shifted up or down with theshade rolled up or unrolled, and the latter operated from any pointwhere the roller may be either by means of a cord or spring. In using acord to operate the shade the lower part can be looped over the knob con the lower end ofthe bar D.

XVe claim as our inveution- 1. A device for operating window-shades,consisting of an (inverted) L-shaped bar, extending across the windowand down one side of the same,and having theshade roller pivotedthereto, said roller being provided with a toothed pinion looselypivoted upon its journals at either end, which engage with verticaltoothed racks on the window-frame as theshade is raised and lowered bysaid bar, said pinions being held in engagement by means of brackets,through which said racks extend, said brackets being adapted to slideover the rackbars when the shade is raised and lowered by said bar,substantially as set forth.

2. In a device for operating windowshades, the L-shaped barD, having thehorizontal arm a, extending across thewindow, and means for adjustingthe length of said arm, and the vertical limb as, provided with note-hesv1 i therein, the shade-roller a2, pivoted in bearings in said bar Dupon either side of the window, and having the loose pinions c upon itsjournals, the brackets or keepers k, through which the journals of saidroller extend, the vertical toothed racks b, said brackets inclosingsaid pinions and racks, and adapted to slide freely over the latter,q(when the shade is operated,) and the guideway b, provided with the doge, and means for operating the same, whereby it is engaged with thenotches t' t' rin barD when the shade is raised or lowered by means ofthe latter, substantially as set forth.

3. In a device for operating window-shades, a shaderoller provided withpinions loosely pivoted upon its journals, toothed racks with which saidpinions engage-on either side of the window-frame, brackets throughwhich the journals of said roller extend inclosing the racks, andadapted to slide over the same and to hold the pinions of the rollerinengagement therewith, and a carrier-bar, of L shape, extending acrossthe window and down one side of the saine, said roller being pivoted tosaid carrier-bar upon either side ot' the window, and a guideway throughwhich the vertical limb ofthe carrier-bar extends, having a spring-dogadapted to 'engage with notches in the vertical limb of the carrier-barin raising and lowering the shade by means of the latter, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

VALENTINE BLANK.v THOMAS J. ANTHONY. Witnesses: l

B. C. CONVERSE, SAMUEL M. GRIFFITH.

